Suikoden 2 Coming To PS3 Finally

It seems that Konami just realized every RPG fan wants a re-release of Suikoden 2. A new ESRB listing suggests that the game's coming to PSN.

The ESRB rated Suikoden 2 for the PS3 recently. They list Sony Computer Entertainment America, rather than Konami, as the publisher. This sort of listing is often a sign that an older game's about to be re-released through the PlayStation Store.

While Konami hasn't made an announcement, there's good reason to be optimistic. The ESRB and other ratings boards regularly spoil the surprise of long-awaited ports. You'd think that publishers would have caught on by now and learned to announce these re-releases well in advance but I guess not.

Suikoden 2 debuted on the PSOne back in 1998. The game opens with the Kingdom of Highland invading the nearby country of Jowston. The player controls a young man who ends up leading a rebellion against Highland.

The game merges traditional JRPG elements with wider strategic features. The player leads a party of six characters in turn-based combat for much of the campaign. However, there are also large-scale battles in which you lead entire armies.

Building your army is a crucial part of the game. Throughout the campaign you recruit characters that can be used in your party. Some characters also unlock new features for your stronghold. There are over 100 characters to recruit and it's a definite challenge to find all of them. Some can die permanently if they fall in the large battles.

Also, I defy you to watch the opening video and not get pumped for the game. So good:

While Suikoden 2 is one of my favorite PSOne games and regarded by many as the best chapter in the series, it apparently didn't sell too well. Konami didn't print many copies as a result so it became a rare collector's item. If you want to buy a copy off eBay, it'll usually cost you at least $100:

If you still own an original copy of the game and were thinking of selling it, you might want to do so soon. The value of those copies may decline once Konami officially announces the PSN re-release.

As Siliconera notes, the first Suikoden is already available through PSN. It's worthwhile to play that game while you're waiting for S2. There are some story connections between the two games. Furthermore, you can load your data from S1 into the sequel for special bonuses.